TRIBUTES have been paid to a dedicated Rotarian and family man who died, aged 85.

David Parker was a member of Northwick Park Rotary Club and had played a role in setting up the Foodbank in Harrow.

In a speech which was read at his funeral, fellow Rotarian Robert Bunn said: “The basis of Rotary is fellowship and David never failed in this regard. He was always the perfect gentleman and showed a keen interest in whatever was happening in others’ lives.

“This quality perhaps showed best the years he acted as the club’s welfare officer, sending to all and sundry one of his seemingly inexhaustible supply of cards.”

The great-grandfather was proud to be a member of Rotary and played an active role for more than 30 years.

Recently he became heavily involved with Foodbanks and was delighted when Rotary generally, and Northwick Park in particular, decided to adopt the charity as one of its projects.

Mr Parker was born in the Regent Park, Primrose Hill, area of London in 1928. He was the only child of David Wallace Parker and Adeline Florence Primrose Parker, nee Hickman.

He had a varied life and after a brief spell in the dental unit of the RAF after national service, he settled in north west London and worked in the shoe trade.

He met his future wife, Margaret, at a hospital dance on March 17, 1950, and the couple were married two years later. They had a large house in Kingsbury with their three children, David Jnr, Kevin and Margaret, which was always full of friends and used for family gatherings.

After retiring in 1994, the couple moved to a small bungalow in North Harrow and became members of St Albans Church.

All three of their children married and five grandchildren soon arrived. The couple’s first great-grandchild was born in 1999 and the fourth was born in 2011.

As well as being devoted to his family, Mr Parker loved the four Labradors they had; Sheba, Ebony, Cherry and Buster. He was a great film fan and an avid theatre lover and had a cupboard full of classical music CDs.

On November 5, 2009, his beloved wife died during an operation in Harefield Hospital leaving him heartbroken. Mr Parker died on June 22 in his sleep.